Letters to the editor

Dave Hammer Hanson’s Memorial plaque should be preserved in the Palmer Ice RinkTo the editor:

Dave Hanson was a singular and respected member of the sports community in Alaska.

Retiring jerseys, featuring championship banners, and highlighting trophies in sports facilities is a time-honored practice in stadiums and rinks. Similarly, special plaques are installed in these venues. The honor is not casually granted but reflects a life of accomplishment and service—the ultimate compliment bestowed on the recipient. Dave’s work with youth and adult hockey is unparalleled and rooted over decades in our community. After suffering a debilitating stroke, he reclaimed his love of the ice, and his example was a daring model for anyone who challenges physical limitations with the help of friends and family. Dave roused the “able” and “disabled” to be more, do more, try more. He was truly someone special.

Confusion and dissonance between Community Development Director, Brad Hanson and Rink Manager Cotton Gore about a vague “procedure” is at best incompetent and at worst punitive. No clear system has emerged, and no fruitful discussion has been initiated with the Hanson family and the hockey community. I find this state of affairs inexcusable in a local government agency. We expect coordinated and professional behavior from elected and appointed officials who represent city government. However, these two officials fall short. Root causes of local government failure include insufficient human resources; shortage of skills; unethical organizational culture, and ineffective performance systems. The City of Palmer is well on its way if these two employees are examples of Palmer municipal ability.

Finally, the heartless treatment of Dave’s family by removing the enshrined plaque is quite plainly shameful. The family is grieving the loss of husband and father. Additionally, the Alaska and Mat-Su hockey communities continue to remember a man who shaped youth hockey, brought fair play to the ice, and maintained officiating skills for skaters and teams. Respect must now be extended to Dave’s family. Whether a policy was in place, the plaque was installed, and that action must be sustained. Arguments that if the City “does for one than it must do for all” are specious and irrelevant. A sincere examination of Dave and any candidate for a plaque will reveal the qualities that the City will be proud to enshrine.

I urge you to preserve Dave Hammer Hanson’s Memorial plaque in the Palmer Ice Rink. Additionally, any policy for future civic honors should be thoughtfully reviewed by both Council and residents.

Julie DeKreon,

Wasilla

Our community deserves betterTo the editor:

Dr. Trani, the superintendent of schools for the Mat-Su Borough, sent an email to school staff just seconds after school had closed last Friday. There had been a survey open til Sunday night Jan. 30, asking what parents and staff thought about using masks in the schools While the survey was still open, Dr. Trani decided to stop requiring masks in schools to prevent covid.

He wrote: “Through layered mitigation we will continue our efforts to encourage (but not require) mask use” Right now 36 of 47 schools are at yellow with widespread transmission, since schools CANNOT go to red (closed) under current requirements. School nurses are overwhelmed and working extra hours every day with paperwork for covid tests. Even when masks are “urged” and not “required,” teachers are lucky to see 3 or 4 masked students per class.

Dr. Trani obviously didn’t even wait until the survey was finished.

Personally I don’t think public health decisions should be made by a vote anyway. Can you imagine voting on whether we should stop at stoplights, or call out “fire” in a theater? Decisions for the public good need to apply to a community for their protection. People with immune problems, whether students, staff or their families, should be protected from catching covid by others wearing a mask. With his decision, Dr. Trani is allowing sick people to “choose” to infect others, instead of protecting the community.

Our community deserves better.

Shorti Elder,

Wasilla

Memorial should be placed inside Palmer ice arenaWhen I walk into the Palmer Ice Arena, I see memorials everywhere — banners, trophy cases, and past recognition of individual and group accomplishments. I love seeing all of these because they make me proud of the community where I’ve lived for 40 years. Memorials are part of every culture and especially sports culture. Memorials link the past to the present and enable people to remember and respect those who made significant contributions. They inspire all of us to do our best.

That’s why the removal of the Dave “Hammer” Hanson memorial plaque from the Palmer Ice Arena has left me scratching my head in confusion. Why would City employees hang the plaque and then take it down unceremoniously? It is a tasteful, relatively small memorial plaque that requires little to no maintenance. Dave Hanson touched many lives in the valley hockey community. As a lifelong player and 30-year referee, Dave upheld and demonstrated the positive values of fair play and sportsmanship that are shared by those of us who love the game of hockey.

My understanding of the situation is that two City employees made the decision to remove the plaque and when the Hanson family asked for an explanation, the City employees referenced vague policies that are hard to find in the record and difficult to interpret. Policies are essential elements in good governance, but are best used in conjunction with – not in place of – thoughtful decision-making by caring leaders.

I appeared at the Palmer City Council meeting to encourage the Council to intervene, and their discussion was revealing. They admitted there is no policy in place that specifically addresses this issue due to an oversight on their part; they agreed that Hammer is deserving of recognition; and they apologized to the Hanson family. The Council was within their power to instruct the City Manager to hang the plaque, but they stopped short of that action and instead tabled the subject until the next meeting. Once again, I’m scratching my head in confusion. They don’t have a specific policy but want to make sure to uphold any possible future policies that are currently not in place? I hope the Council will address this at their February 8 meeting and instruct City employees to do the right thing – hang up Hammer’s plaque.

Sammye Pokryfki,

Wasilla